1. Technical Field
The invention relates to nano-scale semiconductor devices and fabrication methods therefor. In particular, the invention relates to fabrication and use of nanowires in semiconductor devices.
2. Description of Related Art
A consistent trend in semiconductor technology since its inception is toward smaller and smaller device dimensions and higher and higher device densities. As a result, an area of semiconductor technology that recently has seen explosive growth and generated considerable interest is nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is concerned with the fabrication and application of so-called nano-scale structures, structures having dimensions that are often 50 to 100 times smaller than conventional semiconductor structures. Among the most promising of the nano-scale structures are nanowires.
Nanowires are wire-like structures on the order of 1–100 nm in diameter. In addition to functioning as conventional wires for interconnection applications, nanowires have a wide variety of other potential applications. In particular, nanowires can exhibit essentially 1-dimensional current flow properties and other related quantum effects that may be useful in certain sensor-related applications.
While holding much promise, the practical application of nanowires has been somewhat limited. In particular, it has proved difficult to provide nanowires, especially laterally grown nanowires that can be fabricated in production quantities for a reasonable cost. In addition, growing nanowires, especially arrays of nanowires, in a controlled manner has often proved an elusive goal.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to grow and interconnect lateral nanowires in semiconductor devices using commercially oriented, potentially low-cost, fabrication techniques. Such laterally grown nanowires would solve a long-standing need in the area of nanotechnology.